Some economic investors, Chiefs of Services and Inspectors of customs units that have registered best result contract during the August/September/October 2014 quarter have received distinctions and special awards.

The awards come shortly after the 16th evaluation ceremony of the performance contract on Friday, November 21, at the Hotel Prince de Galles in Akwa, Douala.

Both the handing over of awards and analysis of the period, the last of year 2014, was presided over by Libom Li Likeng Minette, Director of Customs. The ceremony had as objectives to promote a culture of organisation based on professional ethics, ease and secure customs operations, performance culture, improve on the customs-enterprises relations, as well as improve total profitability of the customs administration.

The Customs boss expressed gratitude to the enterprises for registering for the performance contract and encouraged others to do the same. Without stating figures, she said the customs revenue has remained good, improving and important to the government. Meanwhile, external trade actors expressed satisfaction for the relative fluidity noticed at the Douala Seaport.

The Customs Directorate General has in place a battery of efficient measures that has been helping in this area. These include the creation of a centre in Belabo for goods clearance destined for Central African Republic, review of working time for customs units, creation of a dynamic concertation framework with actors of the seaport, and the organisation of auction sales for the abandoned goods at the Littoral I Customs Sector which will end at the end of December 2014.

In line with these measures, the Customs Directorate General is organising a colloquium on five years of existence of the Customs-enterprises Forum during which participants will examine the road covered, indicators of evaluation and set up perspectives.

The colloquium, which will run from December 17-19 this year, will round up with the holding of a ‘Partners Evening’ in which participants will chart a way forward to improve the business climate in Cameroon. Another issue will be to define the axis for a new win-win partnership between the Cameroon Customs and the private sector.